Knitting-machine.



G. T. NICHOLLS.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLIOAIIOH FILED KAY 6, 1909.

Palfented May 3, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MIT N55555:

G. T. NICHOLLS.

KNITTING MACHINE.

LPPLIGATIOX FILED KAY 6, $09.

Patented m 3, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Z Z JQIWUA /NVEN TUR:

- as szo.

funirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE T. NICHOLLS. OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed May 3, 1910.

T 0 all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE '1. Nita-tonne, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State ofRhode island, have inventrd certain new and useful improvements inKnitting-Machines, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Like reference characters indicate like.

parts.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved knitting machine. Fig. 2 isa view of the same, seen partly in top plan and partly in section online .r .r of Fig. t. Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal. t'liameirit-al.vtU- tion of the needle tube, UUllhlliHtlllfj an clemerit of my saidmachine. and showing in combination therewith the thread and the threadcarrier, and also one of the needles, as scen'ili the positions of theseparts at a certain time during the knitting operation.

other PUFlll llStllll'lllgllltllUlltl'tlllhlt. Vie

said thread carrier and needle bring represented in side elevation.Figs. 4. .3, (i. T and t are similar views of the needle. lit-Milt tube.thread and thread earrit s in certain 9,10. ll. l9. l3 and 14 are topplan views of said needle. needle tube. thread and thread carriers,correspoinlin". respectively. to Figs. 3. 4, 5. 0. 7 and S. 1'8 and it)are \iews similar to Fi s. fl. l l. 12.13 and 14, but represent.intermediate positions of the needle, needle tube. thread and threadcarrier, that; is to z-F'ig. represents a position between those shownin Figs 9 and 10; Fig. 16 represents a position between those shown inFigs. 10 and 11; Fig. 17 represents a )osition between those shown inigs. 11 and 12; Fig. 18 represents a position between those shown inFigs. 12 and 13; and F ig. 19 represents a position between those shownin Figs. 13 and 14. Figs. 20 and 21 are diagrammatic views showing theinterlocked stitches formed by this machine.

represents the bed of the machine.

My invention relates to the class of knit.- ting machines, and consistsof the novel construction and combination of the sercral elementshereinafter dewribed and claimed.

In the drawings. the reference numeral '24 There are two horizontaloperating shafts. Of

these, the mail hat't. driven by power. is dean! :ted as .5 and a secondshaft. parallel to the mam shaft is marked 1. i. The

hearings of these shafts are not hown in the drawings. The main shaft 23has a driving gear .27. whose hu is fastened on the main shaft 25hr aset screw The sha t 26 is turned by a gear 30. wliesc hub 31 is I seemedto the shaft 26 by the s t screw E32. The gears 27 and 30 have such i'tlation to each other that the gear 97 rotates twice while the gear 30rotates onc On the shaft '26 is secured a cam drain 33, having on itsperiphen' a train way 34, shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A cam lever is mountedat one end by a pivot 3 on tht= bed of the machine. and is provided witha tin stud 37. which is located midway its ends and projects loosely inthe cam way 34. A link bar connected at one end to the. cam lever 3.3 bya pivot 39, and is connected at its opposite end by screws to a rackgear 41.

A vertical needle tube 42 rests at its lower end on the bed 24' ofthemaehine and is snl'ipt'irted in a standard'-l. Screws 44 pass throughflanges "l of the standard 43 and fasten it upon the bid '24. Thestandard 3 is shown only i-ia'l ig. l., The needle tube 42 is rotatableiua bore of the standard 43.

A collar 40 surrounds the! needle tube 42, and is held-'in position threon by a setscrew tl ig. 1). The editor as is provided with a segmentalgeat"-itQ-, which engages with the rack gear 41. Thus the rotation ofthe shaft 25 and its gear 27, causes the rotation of the gear 30-and itsshaft 20. The cam drum 33 rotates with the shaft 26 and in its cam way34 and the vain stud 37. which projects therein, gives an oscillating-inoveinent to the earn lever 35. which movement. is communicated by thelink bar 38 to the rack gear 41, and by the engagement of the rack gear41 with the segmental gear 47. the. needle tube 42 has a slightperiodical oscillation.

On the main shaft 25 is a cam drum 4.55, which has a hub &9. A set screw:30 passing through the hub 49 secures th cam drum upon the shaft Thecam drum 48 has a peripheral (aim way 51.

A vertical shaft 52 is rotatably mount d in proper supports or bearings(not shown At ts lower end the shaft 52 has a titted a H! or crank 53,at whose free end is a cam st u'l arm or crank 53, and this movement iscom- 163, whose edge isbeveled. "There arc-several rods or standards 64,

"fastened to the bed 24 by bolts 6 Thus the in the no u-r and timelverti al llmh'iu" t r: l l

54, entering lcoselfy in the cam way 51. At 2 the upper end 0 thevertical shaft 52 a collar 55 is fastened by a set screw 56, and thiscollar 55 is provided with a segmental ear 5'1.

The head of the machine com rises two pnrts-a ring-shaped base 58 an acap or I cover 59 having an annular flange, which fits over the same andengages the periph- 3 cral rim thereof. The cover 59 has a segmentelgear 60, which meshes with the segmentel gear 57. The cover 59 has acentral 0 enmg 51, whose edge is beveled, as seen in 1 5g. 1, and isloose upon the base 58 and capable of a slight oscillatory movementthereon. The base 58 has a central opening upon whose upper ends thebase 58 is rigidly supported, bein fastened thereon by screws 65, andhas a plurality of radial grooves, rs illustrated in Jig. 1. Thestandards 84 are rotation of the main shaft 25 causes the rotation ofthe cam drum 48 with it, which, by its cam way -1 and the cam stud 54'therein, gives an oscillating movement to the radial municntcd by thevertical shaft 52 and se mental gears 57 and 60 to the cap 59 of t iemachine.

The needle tube 42 has a. plurality of equispaccd, exterior,longitudinal grooves 67', in each of which grooves a needle 68 isslidnbly mount d. At the upper end of each needle (-5 is a hooletitl,and a latch 70 is mounted by a pivot 71 on the needle 68. when the latch7 i.-. in contact with the end of the hook 69, ihcv form a closed needle0 'e, as illustrated in Fi 3, 6 and 8; but w en the latch T0 is directeddownward, as in Figs. 4, 5 and I, there is no needle eye,-but the stitchor loop is dropped. As these needles and their operation are well-knownin the artv they need not here be further explained] l'lach needle 68has a needle hub 72. The lower cud of each needle roove tapcrs outheinsertion of the needles 68 in said moves and their withdrawaltherefrom. he mechanism for 11in to llltft'll' needles (ll as follows:On tinmain shaft 23 is an eccentric wheel 73, which has hub 7-1. A setscrew 75 secures the hub Tl on the shaft J5. A. strap or collar 75 is lo'cly fitted up n the rim of the ccccntric \vh l73. A vertical rod 76extends up from and is carri d by the culhu or strap. On one oi thesupports 64 a bracket or collar 77 is fits-toned by a setgwrew T8, andthis bracket has a b aring 79 attending thcrcirom. through which the rod76 pass s loosclf. A collar 80 is adju tably mounted upon the rod 7; bya s t screw 81 and has a yoke 82, whose ends are bifurcated, as shown at83. A coll lar .5 surrounds the needle tube 4 2 loosely and has twodiametrically opposite trunnipns H5, which extend loosely into thebifurcated emls'uf linyoke 8;! of the collar M. A ring 86, ('ulu'cnlrlcwith the collar 8 is mounted parallel with the uppcr surface of thecollar 34 by mcans. of Sitl't'Ws 87. The n t-die hubs 7:5 cxtcnd loos-l)beneath the ring i l and above th collar 54. Thus, the rotation of theshaft 12.? (:HIH'S the eccentric wvhccl T3 to rotate therewith, and soimparts to the rod 76 a reciprocating vertical movemcnt. The collar 50,l'a tci'u-cl to the rod 76, rises and descends with it. and by the yoke82 causes the collar 84, (whose trunnions engage with said yoke) to moveup and down accordingly, together with the ring so. This movement of thecollar 84 and ring 86, as they engage with the hubs 7-2 of all theneedles 68, causes all said needles to rise and descend at the sametime, periodically and to'the same extent, the limitto suchreciproeating movement heingequal to the ecccntricity of the wheel 73.

In the head of the machine, in the space between the base 58 and thecover 59, is a cam way 88, which forms a series of ungularly directed orzigzag communicatingchannels. This cam way or channel is formed by twocam rings 81'), 90, which are attached to the cover 55), and is bestillustrated in Fig. 2, where it is shown in plan or top view. in thiscam way are loosely mounted radially movable thread carriers 91, whoseform and position are best seen in Fig. 1. These thread carriers aremovable in the radial the screws (35 upon the standard (34, and thecover 5.) has an oscillatory movement, and

the thread carriers are confined to a straight movement by the radialslots in the base .78 as shown in Fig. l. a radially-diru-tcd1eciprocaling movement is im arted to the thread carriers by the oscilntion of the cover 59, caused by the operation of the Sc mental gearing5i and (30 The inward y directed end of the carrier 91 is formed into athread-feeder arm 93. which is parallel to the central part or body ofthe carrier, but slightly above the same in the same vertical plane.This threud-f ecder arm has an eye 5' 4. Threads 95 (from a reel, notshown' passlln'ough the eyes 94 of the thread feeder arms 92.. of thesethread carriers, and pass thence to the needles (18.

Having thus described the different parts of my improved knittingmachine. I will proceed to explain. the manner of itsopcrutiun.

The p'oduct. of this machine iu knit lube, useful for shoe lacin'gs.corset lacing". for the textile coverings of eleotric wires, and nth-'31similar purposes; By a method presently explained it is adapted also toknit flat. textile fabrics. such as tapes. carpet brains, dress braids,and similar goods. First, 1 will describe its usual operation in themamtfiictnre of tubular textiles, the formation of the stitches being ilustrated by Figs. 3 to 19, inclusive.

In Fig. 3 and its companion l i 9. the needles G8 are down. the hookit!) of each needle hein; helm:v the upper end of the needle tube 42 inthe groove 4 thereof. The thread. carrier J1. 5- is in position to beginthe operation. The thread 95 passes through the eye 94 of thethread-feeder arm 93 and also between tho'ncedle hook 59 and the needlelat h T; the latter two being then together and n tituting a.closed eyeThe timed-feeder arm at that time extends between two ltmalltsdesignated in the draw lugs as A and ll. as shown in Fig. 9. The needle.tube oscillates until the. needle B has Passed tinder-the thread (arr"r. as saown in Fig. 15. The needles then rise, as shown in Fig. l. andthe thread carrier moves outwardly. as shown in Figs. 4 and 10. The

' thread has now passed around thensedle B,

and the previous loop has hoen cleared from the latch by the onwardmovement of the needle. A thereoinnd hangs upon 'tlhesl-iatt of theneedle. The Ila-milks still remain in ileir elevated position and theneedle tuhe oscillates so that the thread carrier comes into positionclear of the needles A and B, but in a line directed radially betweenthem, as shown in l-ig. 1 The needle lube then moves haci; to theposition shown in Fig. 9

' The thread mutter then mores inwardly between the needles A and B. asseen in Figs.

and 1-1. the needles still being in their elevated position. At thistime the thread has been looped around the needle B. as indited in Fig.17. The needles then descend helow'the top of the needle tube and operation is completed on the needle B. The needle tube then oscillates andpasses beneath the thread carrier. as shown in Figs. 6 and 12. to theposition shown in F in. 12. whereupon the threat carrier witlnlrai xsuntil clear of the. needles A and B. as seen in Fig. 18. The thread hasnow been passed around the needle A. The needles then rise and theneedletuhe oscillates until the thread carrier is directed radiallylJQlWet"? the needles A and B. as shown in Figs. T and t3. ihc threadchrrier th n moves inshown in Fig. :9. The needles then "lest-ind. as inFigs. 8 and H, which this same pt sition as in Figs. 3 and 8. Thisoperation is'contiimousyfhe tlilllltfl' (as the tube oscillates)carrying the same thread alternately to the needles B and A, others to tand B. l) and L. -etc. 'lliesc periodical vertical movements of theneedles. up and down, result from the rotation of the eccentric wheel 73on the shaft 2.3. and said rotation is converted by the strap r collar75 and rod 76' into a reciprocating movement which is convcrted. asalready explained. into a rise. and fall of the collar 84 and ring B6.and these operate the needles (38 by their hubs 3'2.

Tilt? periodical oscillations of tip; n -p ll; tuhe 42 are caused by therotation of the cam drum which by its cam way 34 rocks the lever 35 andso giv s a reciprocatin; movementto the link bar 38 and the nick gear41. the latt r moving the segmental gear 47 of the collar 46. which isfastened to the needle tube.

The periodical movements of the thread carriers 91. 93, are ziusedby therotation of the cam drum 48, whose cam Wu 51 rocks the crank arm andgives a corrcspomling oscillation t0 the vertical shaft. 52. The samemovement, being comnnn'iicated to the segmental gear 57. operatesthesegmental gear of the circular cover or up 59 and the cam Way formed bythe can: rings 8! and 90. This oscillating movement of the cover or cap59 and its cam way 88 moves the thread carriers 91 radially. in and out.by the loose engagement of the projection 92 thereof in the cam way 88.These moremcnts of the. needle tube 42, needles (38 and thread carriersat are carcfullyiimed to cooperate as described. As the tubular" fa ricis thus knit. it is drawn down through the here of the needle tube 42.by the usual drawing rolls and take-up mechanism in the manner usual and'well-known in this class of machines and which therefore I have notdeemed it necessary to illustrate in the drawings.

The stitch, made ashereinbefore described, in the form of a figure 8, asshown in Fig. 24. In this figure and in the explanation of thestitch-forming I have assumed that thencedles are worked in gangs of twoeach, the needles being designated as A and B. It is to be understood.however. that while said needles A and B are so knitting, the needles Band C (and C and D. and so on all around the needle tube are knittingalso) and that while an 8-shapcd stitch is forming upon the needles Aand B. another 8-shaped stitch i forming. at the same time. upon theneedles B and C. as shown in Fig. 25. and so on. The result is that thestitches interlock and cannot be unraveled. and the fabric is strongerand loss stretchable than knitted fabrics generally are.

It is ob ious that instead of forming gangs may have three needles each,or any desired number of needles, provided the cam a way operating-theneedle tube is modified to cause the requisite oscillations of the nee,die tube, but the mechanical principle involved is the same.

The shape and extent of the loop or stitch upon the needles is seen inFigs. :20 and 21, and a continuous series of such loops or stitchesnecessarily results in the formation of a tubular fabric.

In Figs. 24 and 25 the stitches are represented as round and separated alittle space from the needles, which they respectively inclose. This,however, is for the purpose of showing the 8-sha of the stitches but itis t be 'understod ti f-l in. practice the stitches hug the needlesclosely. When, however any two adjacent needles 58 are withdrawn fromits groove 67 in the needle tube 4-2, the-- continuity of the fabric isbroken. and the product of the machine is a flat tape, with twoselv'ages. I

It. is evident that these knitting; mechanisins are interchangeable, andparts which are of different sizes or diameters and which car andoperate a rlif 'erent number of nee les and threads, or a ditl'erentstyle or pattern in knitting, whether a simple spiral, continuous, orstraight. or diamond-shaped, or other design, may be substituted fromtime to time, thus making the machines capable of at variety of work,with but little loss 0 time and with no increase of floor space. Thusone machine can do the work, which hitherto has required severalditi'erf ent machines, of different sizes, styles and capaciiee.

I claim as a new and useful invention and desire to secure by LettersPatent 1. In a knitting machine. the combination of a rotatable shaft; aneedle tube; means to i oscillate t e tube operated from theshaft:needles hi mounted on the tube; means actuated the shaft. for givingalternately u and tie--51; movements to the needles upon the tube;astationary ringshaped base concentric i131 but above the needle iuheu lsupported by standards from the bed of the Ina-chine ml provided with aplurality of radial grooves; 21 ring-shaped cover conceu trio with saidbase and mounted movably or. the base 3191 having a zigzag cam way (lposed in a circle concentric with said cove. means actuated by the shaftand adapted to give an osciilatory movement to said cove and a pluralityof radially directed three 1 carriers siirlahly mounted respectivelv theVase each having projection slidahiy mounted in said can way and err-hprovided at its inner end with an eye for "rrying thread.

2. In a 5? fitting machine, the combination of a rotatawlc shaft; aneedle tuhe: needle; mnvahlv Im'mnted on the tube; a horizon: lull; sntax-ted base with a central aperture fllul provided with a plurality ofradi ally directed grooves; a plurality of thread carriers radiallydirected and slidable in said grooves; means actuated by the shaft ts?gi eoscilintory movement to the needle tube: means actuated by the shaftto givivertical reciprocation to the needles; and means actuated by theshaft to give periodical movements to the thread carriers in saidgrooves alternately to and from the needle but ab ve the needle tube.

- In testimony; whereof I affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

GEQRGE T. XIClUHiLS.

Witnesses:

Es-1:12): R. PERCE, As am) S. J onrzsox.

